Discs: Fertile Ground

When Brit jazz-dance don Russ Dewbury gushed about a Baltimore-based group of 20-somethings whose funky spiritual vibe sounded like it came straight off an early 70s Strata-East record, I admit I had my doubts. But hearing his Counterpoint label's release of Fertile Ground's Perception album -- with the gorgeous voice of Navasha Daya blasting soulful wisdom over deep, bass-heavy grooves accented with the shimmer of chimes and shekere -- had me checking to make sure Perception wasn't some lost Black Jazz artifact. Dewbury was right on the money: Fertile Ground are an incredible find.